North Jetty (Hikkaduwa) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve had a good look at the charts for North Jetty in Hikkaduwa over the next couple of weeks, and to be brutally honest, it’s not looking like a classic run for us. The whole 16-day stretch is a bit of a battle with the wind, and the surf quality just isn’t there for a proper paddle session. There’s no single standout day that’s going to get your heart racing, but there are a few windows where conditions might be just about surfable if you’re really keen.

The overall picture is dominated by persistent onshore and cross-onshore winds out of the west and west-northwest, mostly blowing at 9 to 12 mph. That’s the main killer here – it’s putting a chop on the surface and messing with the wave shape. The swell direction is locked in from the southwest to south-southwest, which isn’t the optimum for this break. We’ve got a really long-period groundswell running through the whole period – periods between 13 and 19 seconds – which usually means more energy and better-shaped waves, but here it’s fighting against that wind. The combined swell energy is mostly moderate to strong, with values ranging from the low 600s up into the 3000s, so there’s plenty of water moving around, but it’s just not being kind to us.

Let’s start at the beginning. Wednesday the 19th of August into the weekend sees solid swell – heights around 6 ft to 7 ft – with that long 16 to 17 second period. The combined energy is up in the 2000s and 3000s, so the ocean’s got punch. But the wind is cross-on or onshore at 12 mph, and we’ve got risk of thunderstorms, so the surf is poor or marginal at best. Mostly poor. You’ll see reports of “poor surf conditions” and “moderate cross-onshore and choppy” again and again. This stretch is a washout for quality waves.

Moving towards the end of August, it stays messy. The swell drops a bit, between 3 ft and 5 ft, but that westerly wind doesn’t let up. We start seeing some “marginal” calls on the afternoons, but the mornings are still poor. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing crazy to report.

The best chances – and I use that term loosely – start to appear around Thursday the 27th of August. That morning we’ve got a 5 ft SSW swell with a 17-second period, and the combined energy jumps back up to 1628. The wind is still onshore from the west at 12 mph, but the wave comment changes to “marginal surf forecast.” Same story on Thursday afternoon and into Friday the 28th. It’s not good, but it’s the least bad we’ve seen. Sunday the 30th of August afternoon is another one to keep an eye on – 5 ft SW swell, 18-second period, combined energy of 1854, but again that cross-on westerly wind at 12 mph. Still marginal.

Then in the second week, into September, we get a little bump in size. Tuesday the 1st of September sees swell heights up to 7 ft with that 16-second period, and combined energy over 3000. That’s a powerful ocean, but the wind is still cross-on from the west at 12 mph, so the surf is poor to marginal. This size (over 8 ft on the bigger pulses) means it’s really only for experienced surfers anyway.

Honestly, this is a tough one. The wind just won’t cooperate, and the swell direction is off. If you’re desperate, the afternoons from the 27th of August through to the 2nd of September might give you a few rideable waves, but don’t expect anything clean. For the blown-out, cross-shore conditions and the powerful swell, this setup might actually look more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

It’s a dry spell. Forecasts can always change, so keep your eyes peeled, but for now, I’d give this one a miss.

Rusty.

Read more